5 Simple Steps You Can Take Today to Improve Your Mental Health

It’s a new day, and you’re faced with the reality of tackling your long to-do list. The list seems like it’s never-ending, and somehow, there aren’t enough hours in the day.  Not to mention, lately, you’re feeling “off.” You’re not feeling joy in the things that used to bring you happiness. You’re irritable with your loved ones, even with your kids. You’re feeling restless and fatigued. You know you need some extra mental health support, but you can’t imagine finding the time to find and meet with a therapist in your area. How can you ever get ahead and feel good?

Your mental health is important, just as important as your physical health. And it’s true what they say: You can’t pour from an empty glass. When you improve your mood and anxiety symptoms, you sleep better, get along better with others, and you even feel better about yourself. You deserve to start feeling better now, not sometime in the future when you have more time to find and meet with an in-network therapist.

What if I told you that there are simple activities you can start doing today to help boost your mental health? These activities don’t take a lot of time or money, either. In fact, they’re completely free. You don’t have to feel powerless in the pursuit of mental health support. I’m going to share some small changes you can make to your day that can add up in major ways. Improving your mental health doesn’t have to feel like a daunting task. You deserve some positive changes to your mental health. So let’s dig in!

1. 15 Minutes of Movement 

Yes, everyone has heard about the health benefits of an exercise routine. Some of us have even felt that wonderful post-exercise mood boost. Still, we get easily sucked into the all-or-nothing thinking trap. We think we aren’t doing enough if we aren’t dedicating 45 minutes three times a week to exercising. Do not despair if you get sucked into this common thinking trap. Small steps can add up in big ways. 

Use pockets of time in your day to add in some movement. Squats while putting dishes away? Pushups while you are doing laundry? Park farther away at the grocery store? Planks added to your morning routine? 

It doesn’t have to look a certain way to be helpful for your mind and body. Don’t let the fear of not doing enough paralyze you. Start making small steps today to support your mental health.

2. Call a Friend for 5 Minutes

We humans are social beings. As much as we sometimes pride ourselves on being independent, it is a part of our biological makeup to desire connection with others. It is, in fact, crucial to our survival. So, when your day-to-day is dragging you down and you start to feel out of sorts, you may be missing meaningful connections with others. 

To start connecting more with others, find those pockets of time in your day and use them to reach out to loved ones. Give one of your friends a call, or even a text. Text a loved one at the beginning of the week as a check-in to help you get more meaningful connections throughout the week. Connecting with loved ones more regularly gives your brain a boost. 

3. Keep a Gratitude List

Appreciating the positive moments in your life, whether big or small, helps improve your mental health by improving life satisfaction and lowering levels of anxiety and depression. You can use an app designed for documenting gratitude, a notebook, or a planner to keep your gratitude list. It’s all about retraining your brain to notice the positive moments, which will then result in feeling increased happiness and an uplifted mood- wow!

This task can feel daunting, but remember this: What you're grateful for does not have to be major life events; it can be as simple as the wet grass between your toes in the morning, the calm before your kids wake up, a kind message from a friend, or a bubbly, fun drink during your day. 

4. Have an Impromptu Dance Party of One

This one’s a double whammy: Not only do you get the benefits of listening to music that lifts your mood, but you also get the benefits of exercise. Get silly with it. Dance like no one’s watching! You can even create different playlists for many of life’s moments and feelings, such as motivation, success, strength, and more. 

Try dancing to move through other emotions such as anger, sadness, and frustration. Dance with joy, move with anger, feel it all. Acknowledging your feelings and moving through them helps you process them, thus making them easier to manage. 

5. Listen to Some Reggae Music

Wait a minute, we’re talking about music again? That’s right, music was already mentioned, but there is more to its mental health benefits: Did you know music with a beats per minute of around 60 can physiologically calm you? That’s because this rate mimics a calm heart rate. Reggae music is typically around this rate, making it a great option for this mental health hack. 

Other music genres contain songs with beats per minute close to this rate. You can search your preferred music player for “60 BPM” to find some favorites. Here are some great options of calming tunes to check out: “Turn Your Lights Down Low” by Bob Marley, “Good Days” by SZA, and “Only Time” by Enya.

-Make it a habit

Okay, now that you’re armed with five simple, actionable ideas for activities to help boost your mental health today, take these activities and start turning them into regular daily habits that improve your mental health, one step at a time. It may help to add them to a calendar that you already use, or to use a habit tracker app or calendar. You can even link up with a friend for some accountability here. You got this! 

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please call the national mental health hotline 988, or dial 911 for emergency assistance.

Sources-

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10393216/ - “The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis”

https://emerginginvestigators.org/articles/the-effect-of-music-on-heart-rate/pdf - “The effect of music on heart rate”

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9417331/ - “The Effect of Classical Music on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and Mood”

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11403199/ - “Social connection as a critical factor for mental and physical health: evidence, trends, challenges, and future implications”